EarthShattering
by tsukino-chan
Summary: AU-Kaoru is wandering, after just surviving an earthquake. She runs into a mysterious rurouni who saves her life.. where will it go from there? [Ch 5 New]
1. Wandering

Author's Notes-–Well, this is meh second fic. And I'm starting it without finish my first or the second chapter to it.. much to the dislike of my beta reader. Anywho, this started out as being an original fic, but it had waaay too many RK references. But now it's a waaaay to AU Kenshin fic. O.o. It's set in about the 1700s in Japan, with Kenshin and Kaoru. There's not too much to it.. I don't plan on there being any much more than a little citrus, hence the PG rating. ^^*. One OC–Kaoru's little brother Shenjiyo.   
  
Disclaimer–- These characters are owned by people a lot richer than I am. I would love to own Kenshin, though.. any bishie for that matter. ^^* But, I don't so.. on with the story!  
  
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Kaoru walked along the edge of the river, the deserted road before her seemed to run on forever. Had not anybody survived? She looked at her reflection, ever-changing in submission to the will of the river-flow. Her kimono, once bright and festive was now torn and soiled. Her hair was loose and had fallen, singed a bit in the back.  
  
Kaoru's thoughts drifted to that day. That moment. A huge, violent surge of Earth-shaking horror had split her house in two, collapsing on one side with her mother and brother still inside. An earthquake. She had heard of them in the Philippines, China even… but never in Japan. Were the gods punishing the mighty empire? What reason would that have to? Everything had gone horribly, horribly wrong.  
  
And now, only three days later, Kaoru was an orphan with no family or money. Even if she did manage to find someone, what could be done? Her thoughts drifted towards worry. For the past three nights, Kaoru had wandered aimlessly. Kept alive by only her stubbornness not to die. After only a few moments of thought, Kaoru was entwined in the subject. So much so that she didn't notice the figure approaching her.  
  
Only whenever the figure was about twenty feet away, Kaoru finally came to her senses. It was a man. Wearing white hakama and a fushia gi, both thoroughly dirtied, was he with fiery hair flowing past his shoulders. He, at about three feet away, stopped walking. Staring straight at her with soft lavender eyes, the man said, "Konbanwa. I am Himura Kenshin. I presume that you survived the earthquake as well?"  
  
Kaoru bowed slightly. "Konbanwa. Hai, I am the lone survivor of the Kamiya family of--" She trailed off. Suddenly, the world began to shake again. Only, Kenshin hadn't moved. What was this? Kaoru fell to her knees. Something was happening inside of her. Kenshin rushed over to the girl, asking if she were alright. Kaoru didn't hear him. She managed to mutter, "I--I am only seventeen.. Ka.. Kamiya Kaoru," before finally passing out.  
  
She awoke with a start. Sitting up, she found herself in a small room. Her outer kimono had been hung on a rack, with her obi. She had been sleeping on a very comfortable-looking futon with many silky sheets… expensive. But how had she gotten here? She strained to remember--that man. Hiruma? No, Himura. Himura Kenshin. Suddenly, she slouched over in pain. A ripping fire burnt in the depths of her mind. Remembering hurt. This was new to her. All Kaoru could remember was the face of that man… and his name.  
  
The shoji screen door slid open. In rushed the man with a bucket of water. "Kamiya-dono, you are not to be moving yet." said Kenshin, assisting Kaoru to lie back down.  
  
"What?" Kaoru asked blankly.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. You may not remember our first meeting. You were a bit, faint. I am--"   
  
"Himura Kenshin." Kaoru answered for him. "That seems to be the only thing I can remember right now."  
  
"Really, Kamiya-san? I'm flattered that you remember me. I'm merely a rurouni." Kenshin stated, dipping a washcloth into the bucket he had brought and putting it on Kaoru's forehead. "But Miss Kamiya.."  
  
"What is that you keep calling me?" Kaoru asked, slightly relieved that it at least sounded familiar.  
  
"Your name. Well, I only presume that it is your name. Before you passed out, you only managed to tell me three things: you are some sort of lone survivor of the Kamiya family, you're seventeen, And a name. Kamiya Kaoru-dono."  
  
Images flashed before Kaoru's eyelids. A house. A hallway caving in. A little boy screaming. A mother calling her children's names. Then, silence. Kaoru flinched, her forehead throbbing in pain. "Yes, Kamiya Kaoru was my name. And my little brother, Shenjiyo.." She trailed off, her eyes still closed.  
  
"Please, call me Kaoru," she mumbled, yawning.  
  
Kenshin rose, "And you may call me Kenshin, then."  
  
"Sounds like the name of a swordsman." Kaoru mused.   
  
"Demo–it is. What shall you call me then, Kaoru-dono?"  
  
"Kenshin.. still." She stated, drifting off to sleep. "It may be a swordsman's name, but it sort of suits you. I've always wanted to call someone that, anyway.."  
  
"See, Kaoru-dono? Remembering things already. Please rest." Kenshin's voice called from behind the shoji, walking off with the water still splashing in the bucket.  
  
"Yes, Kenshin. Perhaps we may find someone I know. That would be nice. Maybe recover a bit of my memory--" She mumbled on for a few more minutes, finally being lulled to a long, blissful sleep.  
  
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So, what did ya think? Reviews are greatly apprectiated. I'll even take criticism! The beta didn't read this one, so if you see any mechanical errors, or incostisencies, feel free to let me know! ^^* 


	2. Searching

Author's Notes–Heh, finally! More content! ^^* Sorry for cutting the first part so short. I really didn't mean to! Anywho, I'm really working on this one more than my original fic. (TT*) BUT, I really love working on this one. It's practically all hand-written in a little composition notebook of mine, I just have to take the time to write it all out. O.o But, here's my little Earth-Shattering, Ch. 2. Again, one OC–Kaoru's little brother Shenjiyo. Ja. And there's a little bad-sadness in this chappie. O.o   
  
Disclaimer–Nope, I don't own any of this mess. TT*   
  
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When Kaoru awoke again, she found the same soft lavender eyes staring into hers. She rubber here eyes a bit and everything came into focus. Sitting up, Kenshin handed her a small cup filled with a strong-smelling green liquid. "Drink up, we're going searching today!" He said with a quiet smile.  
  
Before Kaoru could ask, Kenshin rose from kneeling beside her. He picked up a sheathed sword from nearby. It was a traditional long sword, katana, by looks. She suddenly remembered. He was a rurouni. Samurai with a master.. or a destination. The lowest level of the samurai. But he seemed so kind. Who could not want to keep him as an envoy? Possibly, could he have been kicked out of a school or dojo? A secret in his past! Kaoru's thoughts raced on as Kenshin placed the sword at his hip. For a fleeting moment, Kaoru could have sworn that she saw him blush.  
  
He stood near the door, but seemed hesitant to leave. Finally, he spoke, "Kaoru-dono, we are staying in an abandoned dojo. Everything around here was obliterated by the earthquake. It's a miracle that this old place withstood that kind of force."  
  
"Mou," Kaoru said quietly, emptying her cup and setting it near the portable tea pot beside her. "Kenshin, what is searching?"  
  
"Eh?" Kenshin asked, a bit surprised. He walked back over to her and sat down, unhilting the sword and setting it on the floor in front of him. A trademark samurai posture. "Well. I mean.. searching for survivors. That's how I found you. And helping them in any way that I am able. It's very humble work, but everyone that I've encountered seems to appreciate it.  
  
"I haven't gone in a few days. An injured memory-less girl is enough to keep a rurouni preoccupied!" Kenshin said politely, laughing.  
  
Kaoru bowed her head. "I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean to be a burden upon you. I didn't mean to.. impose."  
  
"N.. No, you haven't. Everyone else that I have found has been well and on their way." Kenshin responded quickly, blushing. "I meant that it's nice to have somebody be around longer. To be needed."  
  
There was an awkward silence filling the room. Neither of them said anything until Kaoru answered with a curt nod, "Hai. I guess that it was nice having someone to look after me. Anyway, I believe that I'm ready to assist you in this.. searching."  
  
"Right. Demo, your kimono is in tatters–-"  
  
"Do you know where any might be?"  
  
"Yes." Kenshin crossed the small room to a shoji with a picture of a mountain and a lake painted on its outside. He slid the door back slowly, revealing a wealth of lavish kimono and yukata. At the floor were small, square geta and zori, with tabi socks folded neatly at the shoes' bases. In the far corner were elaborate, long obi hung neatly. Kaoru stood up and stalked over to the closet.  
  
"Mou! These are beautiful!" She stated, enchanted, as she ran her hands among the intricate patterns and soft silks. It was only after that moment or two that she realized it. There she was, her black silken hair awry and flowing, tabi-ed feet, and in naught but her underkimono. Right beside a man. Total embarrassment. They both turned the shade of Kenshin's deep-pink gi.  
  
"Good. Anou.. the girl who seems to have lived in this room must have been about your age. The patterns are similar. I'll leave you to dress. I'll return in a few minutes. Please do not wander far, this is a very big complex." Kenshin rambled on, still blushing. On the way out, he grabbed the katana and then left the room in quite the hurry.  
  
After only a few moments, Kaoru collected her composure. She shed her red underkimono and replaced it with a soft yellow one, clean and fresh-feeling. She selected a red kimono with a cherry blossom pattern. Professionally hooking the cords, she began an expedition for an obi.  
  
She walked past a mirror to her right. Kaoru sideglanced, then stopped short. Her mid-back length black hair stared back at her. She found a pearl comb lying in a small chest in the closet. There were also hair ties, ribbons, and a few ornaments tucked away in a drawer of it. Kaoru softly combed her hair, somehow managing to work out the tangles. She pulled it into a high ponytail on the top of her head, securing it in place with a large red ribbon. She was set. Or so she tought.  
  
Kaoru gave herself the once-over and nearly screamed. She had forgotten an obi! Cursing to herself, she paced back to the closet. She found a yellow under obi and wrapped it around her tiny waist three times, like she had done so many times before. Kaoru removed a pink outer-obi and began the long process of wrapping it. "Obi are such a hassle." She began tying the knot at the back, a highly difficult task. It could weigh upwards of five pounds! And it's just a knot and a bow!  
  
Kaoru tugged and struggled against the obi, pulling it this way and that.. to no avail. It just did not want to tie. After several more futile attempts, a silent knock was heard at the shoji. "Kaoru-dono? Are you ready?"  
  
"No!! You idiot!!" Kaoru yelled as the knot behind her fell once more.  
  
"Eh..? Anou?" Kenshin questioned. This was rather awkward.  
  
"No, no, not you. Stupid obi! It simply will not tie." Came Kaoru's voice, in obvious desperation. "I hate these things."  
  
The door slid open once more and, suddenly, the voice behind it had a face. Kaoru stood, black hair falling over her shoulders, and in full kimono. They both found themselves breathless, though each for different reasons. Kaoru was the first to speak. "I wouldn't suppose that you know how to tie these things, ne?"  
  
Kenshin, finally back to his senses, chuckled at the girl. "Actually, yes." Kaoru turned around to reveal the rumpled lump at the base of her obi. "I'm obliged." He shyly walked over to her and tied an expert bow.  
  
"Thank you.. very much!" Kaoru called gratefully. "How do I look?"  
  
"Eh.. Very nice." Kenshin answered blankly, yet he was gazing at her with a slight smile on his face. He again pulled out of his trance and asked, "Are you ready to go now?"  
  
"Hai!" Kaoru seemed hopeful and eager. Kenshin turned and led the way through the long hallway. At the end, he slid open a large shoji door. Air rushed in and greeted Kaoru's face. Had she forgotten how good a warm, early autumn breeze could feel? Or could she simply not remember? Her thoughts trailed, yet again, as she took her first step outside. "It feels so much better out here."  
  
"Feels better, yes, but looks much worse." Kenshin returned. He was correct. Off in the distance was the small village of Edo. All of the buildings appeared splintered and fallen.  
  
Kaoru was shocked, suddenly being whisked away to a time of only a few days ago. Her wanderings for those three long days and nights. The devastation. The ruin. Everything was desolate, save for the recently flooded rice fields. Her eyes widened.  
  
"Are you alright?" Kenshin asked, genuinely concerned.  
  
"Yea." Kaoru answered in a whisper. "It just remembered. All of those houses along the river. They were fallen. Caved in. Sad-looking."  
  
"That's how it is, though." Kenshin seemed at a loss for words, crestfallen. "It's a bit depressing. Have you remembered anything before then?"  
  
"No. Just my journey along the road. And my little brother Shenjiyo. That's all." Kaoru continued in a whisper. Kenshin gave her a remorseful look, then held out a hand to help her down a few stairs. She blinked the tears out of her eyes. Now was not the time for remembering such sorrows, she took Kenshin's hand and stepped down lightly. They made their way to Edo.. together.  
  
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They came upon a small shack with straw all over its yard and the wood of the house burned to ash. A gate leading to the house had a nameplate–"Miyojin". Kenshin stopped and picked up a small piece of the muddy, scattered straw. "This was the roof. Thatched. Straw never holds, and burns very easily. Those logs over there were the corner pieces–" He pointed at four sticks of charred wood, slanted in varying directions. "This was a poor family."  
  
Kaoru walked to where the family's entrance hall had once been. She removed her geta and left them by the doorway. Kenshin looked at her warily. She smiled, walking further in to the house. "Burnt or not, this was still their home. And I respect that. It's not polite to wear shoes in someone's house."  
  
Kenshin instantly removed his zori and followed her. In a small corner was a patch of still-smoldering wood. According to what they could make of the size of the house, and the portions of unburned tatami, this would have been a closet. Kaoru knelt down and cast the wood aside. She screamed. Louder so than when her home had caved in. She recoiled her hand and stared in horror. Kenshin looked wide-eyed as well.  
  
Kaoru turned quickly and buried herself in Kenshin's lavender gi, screaming yet again. Fresh tears burned at her eyes. In the back of her mind, an image she could not erase.. the sight that she had just seen. Under the smoldering wood was the half-charred corpse of a human child. A boy. About Shenjiyo's age of ten. He was sprawled out, the left half of his body was ash–fallen pray to the flames. The right half was still in tact, with a look of sheer horror frozen on the small child's face.  
  
Tears flowed freely from Kaoru's eyes and onto Kenshin's gi. He embraced her comfortingly, then released her. He walked to the body, and replaced the wood over it. He walked to the far corner of the lot and began digging a small hole with his bare hands.  
  
Kaoru was still very much in shock. And what was that Kenshin was doing? She watched him, still sobbing uncontrollably, and then realized it. He intended to bury the boy. The boy. All they knew about him was: he was a boy, surnamed Miyojin, and was about ten. The same age as Shenjiyo. Shenjiyo. He was ten, barely.. a few days before. And he was upset. Their father was not home one his birthday. Their father. Kamiya Koshijiro was in the army–the thoughts stopped short. Kaoru's forehead was throbbing again. Remembering still hurt.  
  
She regained her composure and walked over to Kenshin, still digging away. Kaoru knelt at the base of the pit, which was now about three feet deep. She began pulling up the dirt as well. Kenshin paused momentarily, and glanced at her. "I'm alright, Kenshin. But, Mijoyin-san looked taller to me." She looked up and him and found that he had been crying as well.  
  
The two continued on digging until about nine o'clock that morning. The hole was about four and a half feet deep, and possibly a few inches longer. Kenshin stood. "This will suit Miyojin-dono very well." He re-entered the burnt house and removed the wood covering the half-skeleton. Carefully, picking up the child between his arms. He walked back over to the grave, placing the child into the grave gingerly.  
  
While he replaced the dirt over the boy, Kaoru shuffled over to the front gate. She pulled off the nameplate, not without a great struggle and plenty of effort. She walked back towards the grave once again. The makeshift grave had been filled. Kaoru knelt down once more and placed the nameplate on it. A makeshift grave marker. The two sat in silence, praying, for a while.  
  
Kenshin pulled out a piece of folded parchment. "Kaoru-dono, you carried this with you whenever I found you." He handed it to her. He watch her unfold it vertically. The lines were creased and aged, as if it were years old. The ink was slightly faded and the characters on it were worn. Her eyes flew over the characters, left-to-right.  
  
"Why does saying goodbye always have to be the hard part. Father." Kaoru read. Her voice was small. "Koshijiro.. san."  
  
"Why would he your father give something like that to you. Your own okaasan." Kenshin asked, astonished that anyone would carry around a message like that.  
  
Kaoru refolded the letter, as she had done many years before. "Five years ago. I was twelve. My little brother, Shenjiyo-chan, was only five. My father, Kamiya Koshijiro, was a samurai. At the shogunate's command."  
  
"Mou." Kenshin said. "Army man. Are you remembering this?"  
  
"Yes." Kaoru nodded. "The shogunate called his men-at-arms to calm a rebellion. My father just left. Never said goodbye. Just left me this note. I always.. carry it with me in case he returned." Kaoru rolled on, her voice was emotionless.  
  
"Very good, ne? Now you know that you have someone out there that may be searching for you." Kenshin said hopefully.   
  
"No." Kaoru responded quickly, still blankly emotionless. "He left. But that's all that I remember of him now. That, and anger. I felt that he had abandoned Mother. Me. Shenjiyo. We were all different that day. It was.. melancholy, if anything. Melancholy and angry." Kaoru's head was pounding within itself again. She sighed. "And that's as far as my memory will allow me to go right now." She placed the note in her kimono-sleeve.  
  
"Let's move on, there are more houses down here." Kenshin smiled. They filed out of the now-nameplate-less gate and continued down the road. A small figure approached. A girl of about sixteen. With deadening blue eyes and black hair that surrounded her face, then fell into a very long braid down her back. She was barefoot and she wore a strange purple outfit–a half-gi with a pink obi and shorts? This was an odd child. She came neared the two and bowed rapidly. "Ohayou. I am Makimachi Misao. My village was destroyed, much like this one. But now I need a place to stay. Everyone else has turned me away, saying that they barely have enough for themselves. I assume by the state of your house the you two have nothing as well?"  
  
Kaoru laughed. "This isn't our house."  
  
"Oh." said Misao, not seeming interested. "So, can you help me or not?!"  
  
"Well, she is very straight-forward. I'll give her that." Kaoru said to Kenshin.  
  
"Yes. Anou.. Can you!?!?!??!?!" Misao seemed to scream  
  
"Straight-forward, but impatient." Kenshin said blankly. "Hai, Makimachi-dono. We are staying in a very spacious dojo a few miles from here. I'm Himura Kenshin, and this is Kamiya Kaoru.. Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Oh, so you two aren't married?" Asked the girl, obviously just trying to get retort for comments made about her. But Kaoru and Kenshin seemed unaffected. If anything, their moods lightened.  
  
They took Misao to the dojo, where she fell fast asleep as Kaoru and Kenshin began to prepare dinner. Both happy and relieved, with something to take their mind off their troubles. And so the night continued.  
  
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To the reviewer ^^*: Thanks so much! I've been working on this story for a few weeks now, and its taking even less time than I thought it would. I'm glad you liked it.. ^^*  
  
To everyone else: okay, no Yahiko-fans come flame me! Honestly, I just needed to use a kid from RK. And I wasn't about to burn Suzume or Ayame, that would be too depressing. TT*. But I still got in about 4 1/4 pages of content. The longest chapter I've ever written. And the shortest one was the first. This is shaping up to be a weird fic. Please review!  
  
^^* See ya in Ch. 3–Curiosities 


	3. Conversing

Author's Notes–-the much un-anticipated third chapter to Earth-Shattering is finally here! ^^*. Yay. I've been working on this thing night and day.. hoping to churn out something workable. This one is more fun to write than Passage.. it's more of an original idea from me. I know that meh little ff.net profile proclaims that I 'tend to favor alternate pairings'.. but that just seems a bunch of hooey. This chapter has a bunch of K/K moments.. and you are forewarned that I don't consider myself any good at writing romantic moments. Again, you were forewarned. Have fun reading and please please please review ^^*.. Please?  
  
Disclaimer–-I'm not making a profit off of this. If anything.. I think I should be paying you to read this. But, alas, I'm broke and can't do that. So, I don't own Kenshin or any related mess, I'm just writing for my own sadistic pleasure. Enjoy.  
  
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There was nothing here, in this world, for her. At least, that was what she had thought in the few moments after the brutal collapse of her home. Her mother, dead. Her brother, dead. Her father, may as well have been dead. But she continued. Something kept Kaoru alive. Something allowed Kaoru to meet the rurouni. Something was keeping her from her memories. And now, on top of everything else, something wasn't working right in the kitchen.  
  
She'd been in there for about an hour. And there was really no explaining it. She had waltzed in there, with every intention of making the world's best rice balls.. ones that might repay Kenshin for all of his kindness during these past few days. She had all of the ingredients, the drive to make it, and what she thought were the directions. But somehow, all she had managed to make were circular discs of hardened charcoal.  
  
Kenshin had been sitting in the same kitchen, offering to help with the cooking. "Really, Kaoru-dono.. cooking is very easy for this one!" (At this point, the rice balls were in the oven and beyond saving). But Kaoru had flatly refused any of his help, simply by saying that he had helped her in so many ways, and this one way she should be able to help him.  
  
Emphasis on should. With the hour and meal lost, Kenshin pulled out the ingredients again. He had the perfect meal in about ten minutes. Kaoru couldn't help but feel crushed. "Oi, Kaoru-dono.. I told you that cooking is nothing." He offered, sitting down at the low table in a separate room. The dinner was spread before them.. rice balls. Simple.  
  
"So why can't I do it?" Kaoru thought aloud, picking up a delectable-looking rice ball with a pair of wooden chopsticks. "Why..?"  
  
Kenshin looked warily at her. "Perhaps you lost you memory of cooking with your other memories?"  
  
"No.." Kaoru said shortly, distantly. She put the chopsticks to her mouth and chewed it silently. It tasted like even on the end of a chopstick. They sat in silence for a few minutes more, each eating their share of rice balls from the platter before them.  
  
Kaoru's mind drifted once more. Really, what was this man.. a rurouni.. doing knowing how to cook? Think about it, she kept telling herself. He's a rurouni. The lowest level of samurai, related to the ronin. That implied poor skills in everything. Everything. Curious, and being the blunt girl that she was, Kaoru finally asked him. "Kenshin.. how do you know how to cook? You're a swordsman."  
  
"Hai." Kenshin grinned. "My master thought that it was important to know daily chores. Thus, I can also sew, mend, and my speciality.. laundry."   
  
Kaoru stared at him funnily. What kind of swordsman could this master of his be? She entertained the idea of a taller man, with fiery red hair like Kenshin's.. instructing a teenage Kenshin. 'First lesson,' the fictional master said in her head, 'Washboards. You take the clothes–and being very careful about this–run the clothes along the instrument. But you must be careful.. you wouldn't want those delicates to rip!' Before she knew it, Kaoru was laughing at her own mental jokes.  
  
Kenshin smiled inwardly. "You're not like her."  
  
"Who? Misao?" Kaoru asked, finally collecting her nerves again.  
  
"It's nothing.." Kenshin covered quickly. Damn that girl had good hearing.  
  
"Oh.. someone in your past?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Hai.." Kenshin's head bowed, his bangs fell beneath his face.. his expression became quietly unreadable. He was over it in a moment, grinning again as he collected the bowls and chopsticks.  
  
Kaoru looked at him again, mystified. It was odd, she had never thought about him having a past. She just presumed that his life started whenever she met him. She never thought about anyone having a past, really. Maybe this was just a recent development. Honestly, she wouldn't know. Maybe it was her lack of memory that made her forget that everyone else had theirs. She stood with Kenshin, assisting to collect the dirtied dishes as well. But who was she not like?..  
  
Kenshin, though busied by washing the dishes, was also mystified by Kaoru. She seemed so kind. But everything she had revealed of her past thus far was truly terrible. Maybe she just wanted to forget everything. There were times when he did, too. Times like now. Damn that girl was lucky. No–-that little voice in his head reminded him–-it's good to remember things. But still.. to forget the days of being Battousai. That would be bliss.  
  
They continued working in silence until every single dish was cleared, scrubbed, rinsed, dried, and put away. It had all been done in an eery silence. They walked out of the room together, sitting on a porch, facing a courtyard before them. Together, they watched the stars.  
  
"Kenshin.. who was it that you lost in your past?" Kaoru asked quietly.  
  
Kenshin turned his gaze on Kaoru's upward-staring profile. She was softly smiling, and seemingly meant not to hurt him with such a question. He was quiet as well.  
  
"Nevermind. You don't have to answer that." She said, again quietly.. Her eyes still fixated on the starts above her. Her feet were dangling in the grass.. it's cool touch to her bare feet reminded her of her home.. "Everyone has a past.. usually that they are not proud of. It doesn't concern me."  
  
"Iie.." Kenshin's gaze now fell upon the stars now as well. "Her name was Tomoe."  
  
"Oh."   
  
"She was quiet, subdued."  
  
"Was?"  
  
"Hai.. She has passed." Kenshin said meagerly. He smiled. The memories were bittersweet.. like a morning rain–it was good that they were there, but it still hurt his heart. "You're nothing like her."  
  
"OI!" Kaoru turned to face the rurouni again, a look of anger upon her face. "What's that supposed to mean, Kenshin?"  
  
"You're blunt." Kenshin faced Kaoru. "She wasn't."  
  
Kaoru decided just to drop the subject, something entirely against her character.   
  
They sat like that for what felt like hours, Kaoru eventually falling asleep and leaning on Kenshin's shoulder. But they had basically only known each other only a few days. And Kaoru remembered practically no one else. To any onlookers, there were an ordinary couple recuperating from a traumatic day. Unfortunately for them, they did have an onlooker. Kenshin had been aware of her presence for a while. "What are you doing there, Misao-chan?"  
  
"Just.. watching you guys. Are you sure you two aren't an item?"  
  
"Oro?!?!" Kenshin said, laughing. "Ne.. we've known each other only a few day's time, that we have."  
  
"Then what's with her falling asleep on you like that?" Misao said quietly from the shadows.  
  
"She just fell asleep."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Are you hungry, Misao-dono?"  
  
"No.. not really. A man that I met earlier today handed out some kind of beef." Misao answered with a yawn. "What's on the schedule for tonight?"  
  
"I dunno. It's pretty late, ne?" Kenshin pondered.  
  
"It's around eleven." Misao answered. She was judging by what Aoshi-sama had taught her about time by watching the moon or sun. She sighed.. Aoshi-sama.. Where was he?  
  
Kenshin moved a tiny bit and Kaoru stirred. Misao watched in awe as Kenshin swooped up the sleeping Kaoru into his arms with graceful, cat-like movements. He padded down the hallway, depositing her on the futon in her room. He returned to Misao. "Now.. what was it that you wanted?"  
  
"Nothing in particular."  
  
They sat in silence for a few moments. Kenshin commented, "You have a fighter's ki, Misao-dono."  
  
"Really?" The teenager asked, pretending to be oblivious as she walked to the edge of the porch and leaned her feet over the edge, taking Kaoru's place. "What is you are trying to suggest, rurouni? I'm not a warrior or anything."  
  
"I'm not suggesting anything." Kenshin laughed, holding his hands up in defense. "But those sixteen kunai you have might suggest otherwise."  
  
"Kusho. You're good." Misao cursed. "How'd you know?"  
  
"I've trained in Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryu. I can read opponents moves and the like rather quickly. This comes in handy when gambling.. But you emit the ki of a ninja. Stealthy ki."   
  
"Hiten Mitsuruugi? That's the fighting style of upper-level samurai. What are you doing knowing how to wield it?" Misao asked, suspicious.  
  
"It's always better if that is not known." Kenshin smiled.. simply. Before he knew it, Misao had reached a hand into a flap of her obi and pulled out four kunai between each finger. They were flying at him, piercing the air.  
  
Misao had just thrown them to see if Kenshin really had trained in such a prestigious swordsmanship. She tried to watch his movements, but all she saw was a blur of a sword being unsheathed, a silver arc, and the sword being re-sheathed. It was all one fluid movement, much like when Kenshin had lifted Kaoru from sleeping. The kunai fell to the ground before reaching their targets. Misao collected them again. "Kusho! You're very good.."  
  
"You'd do good not to doubt me, Misao-dono." Kenshin said, rising. "I'll forgive that little incident. You really don't need anything?"  
  
"Nothing." Misao answered simply, replacing the kunai into her obi.  
  
"Alright then. This one takes his leave of you." Kenshin stalked down in the opposite direction of Kaoru and her own room. "Konban wa.." He threw over his shoulder, turning the corner.  
  
Misao sat looking at the stars again. Kenshin wasn't that bad of a character. He was seemingly more talented that her Aoshi-sama. Aoshi would have been able to stop all of the kunai, but not so gracefully as Kenshin had. And Kenshin was nice about it. But there was something about him and his very unreadable ki that just put her on edge.. What was it? She tossed her questions to the stars and stood, walking down the hallway towards her own room. She wouldn't rest so easily tonight.  
  
-~-~-~-~-  
  
Kaoru awoke in her small room again. She was still dressed in her kimono of the day before, but she couldn't remember for the life of her how she had gotten into the room. Great, she thought to herself, more stuff that she could not remember. She sat upright and was surprised to find Kenshin in her room again, his violet eyes smiling and the sakabatou propped up on his shoulder.  
  
"Ohayou, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin still smiled, and handed Kaoru a small tray filled with small brown circles.  
  
Kaoru yawned and looked at the tray before her. "Ohagi. That's usually made in the autumn, isn't it?.."  
  
"Hai.. it's autumn" Kenshin told the amnesiac girl. Kaoru just offered him a look of 'ohh.. right..'. "Misao has already had some, she went out to explore for a bit." Kenshin said, assisting Kaoru to fold her futon and put it in the same closet that held the kimono-wealth. Sitting on the tatami in her room, the two began to enjoy their breakfast.  
  
"Misao went exploring? Mou.. that girl is only a year younger than I am and has tons more energy." Kaoru said, whence stuffing her mouth with another ohagi rice ball. That was practically all they had eaten for the past few meals, rice balls. "Demo, Kenshin.. How is there so much rice in this dojo?"  
  
"Well, it apparently wasn't just a dojo. There are rice fields extending in the back of this complex for about 30 acres. There are bags full of rice in the pantry, and the fields look near-ready to be worked on. I don't know anything about harvesting rice, though." Kenshin offered with a sigh. His own father had been a farmer, but he couldn't remember how to grow rice. What kind of a son was he?  
  
"That's alright. I'm sure we'll encounter someone who knows how. Maybe Misao knows something about it." Kaoru thought aloud.  
  
"I wouldn't doubt it. She's got a battle aura about her, though.. like a shinobi." Kenshin said, taking one of the last ohagi from the bowl.  
  
"You can read ki?" Kaoru seemed awed.  
  
"Hai. Can't you?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Not very well." Kaoru said disbelievingly. "I thought that only master swordsmen could."  
  
"I never did finish my training, but Shisho was rather persistent with me learning to read ki. It's one of the basic foundations of Hiten."  
  
"Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryu?" Kaoru asked, again disbelievingly.  
  
"The very same."  
  
"You'll have to spar with me sometime." Kaoru laughed, eating the last ohagi. "Those were good, Kenshin. Now would be a good time to go searching, ne?"  
  
"Oh, yes, the weather is very nice. Are you sure that you're up for it?" Kenshin seemed worried, yesterday's searching had been a bit difficult for Kaoru.. taxing, if you will.  
  
"Very much so." Kaoru said, stacking the two's trays. She adjusted her hair a bit (not that it really needed it.. her hair was always in a high ponytail and it still looked the same that it did yesterday). Carrying the trays, Kaoru followed Kenshin to the kitchen again. The dishes were then cleared, scrubbed, rinsed, dried, and put away. Misao returned from exploring the dojo.  
  
"We're about to go searching for survivors, Misao-chan. Would you like to join us?" Kaoru asked of the younger girl.  
  
"Sure." Misao answered happily.. she would love to help someone in the same way that these people had been helping her for the day.   
  
Thus, the three bounded out of the dojo together, on the way to the same earthquake-wrecked village as the day before, hoping to put a dent in clean up or maybe just helping to bury the dead. Who knew what the day had in store for them?  
  
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So.. what do ya think of Chapter 3? Flames will be stored in my woodbox until next winter whence they will be used to light one vicious bonfire. ^^* But reviews are greatly appreciated and welcomed.. as is constructive criticism.   
  
See ya in Chapter 4.. No idea what it will be called yet.. ^^* 


	4. Mystifying

Author's Notes–This was supposed to come after a new chapter to my other fic, but.. *phht* like anything ever happens in the order that I say it will. So, here is Earth-Shattering, Chapter 4.. maybe a bit of WAFF. Hints of history, more couples, and introduction of a new character. Hm.. is this actually getting interesting? *gasp* no.. O.o It can't be! Read on to discover what mysteries lie in Chapter 4 of Earth-Shattering!  
  
Disclaimer–Again, I'm 15. I finally have a job, but not enough to own Kenshin. Think of this as borrowing him.. ^^* AU rocks, doesn't it? But I still don't own it, Watsuki Nobuhiro-sama and quite a large number of people wealthier than I do.. so, just read my take on it!  
  
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Kaoru walked out of the dojo very slowly. She looked at the grass, the clouds, the expanse before her, as if she were seeking it for the first time.. all over again. Nature always mystified her.  
  
They were slated to go searching. Simply the promise of going outside and helping others seemed to lighten both Kenshin and Kaoru's moods, Misao noted. Perhaps it would lighten hers, too.. to help her in forgetting of that fateful night.. of Aoshi-sama. These people mystified her.  
  
Kenshin watched as Misao exited into the garden, then waited a moment as Kaoru stepped out from the shoji. She appeared so happy in this moment. She was beautiful to him, standing as the rays of the morning sun danced across her face and the first winds of the day reached out to play with her hair. She mystified him.  
  
Together, they all walked through the gates of the old dojo and walked down the path a bit.. The road beside the river seemed to stretch on forever.. it mystified them all. "Which way should we go today?" asked Kaoru, looking down the road, and then toward the village of Shingetsuo.   
  
"Yesterday, we went North and found Misao-dono. Perhaps we will find someone going South today." Kenshin offered. "You aren't on the look-out for anyone, are you guys?"  
  
"You know my story, possibly an old army man looking for me, but no one other than that." Kaoru answered, smiling. The two turned their attention to the youngster before them. She was rigid, her face had temporarily paled.  
  
"No.. no one.." Misao finally managed to choke out. It was obvious to the older of the three that they had struck a nerve, and a nerve that was best left alone for the time being.  
  
"South it is then, there was a town about ten miles down from here, along the river. It's just a little from the place that I found you, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin smiled, the cross-shaped scar on his right face tilting upwards a bit.  
  
Then it hit Kaoru.. the cross-shaped scar. She'd never noticed it before now. It didn't seem fresh or anything.. nor did it look like a very old scar. But it seemed to complement his features perfectly.. as if he were born with it, and it was a part of him. Perhaps, as a samurai, he had seen combat? She would have to ask him later, for the party turned southward and began wandering down the street.  
  
They talked of trivial things, very, very small talk that didn't really interest any of them.. and, after a few miles of walking in zori and talking of what type of radish seasoned rice better, the conversation just died. Then they saw it.. a dark speck on the horizon in front of them, that was coming closer.  
  
"A person!" Kaoru exclaimed. "Somebody to help!"  
  
"Probably just wants some water or something.. that's all that most people want lately." Misao said pessimistically. She was cut short by Kaoru's jumping up and down, flailing her limbs wildly, calling out to the approaching dark speck. "She's crazy.."  
  
"Ne. She's just very enthusiastic, de gozaru yo." Kenshin stated, his grin growing as the approaching dark speck became an approaching dark figure that waved back. After a few more hundred yards, they could begin to make out the figure's clothes.  
  
The person called cheerfully, "Oi, there!" It was definitely a man. He wore deep-slitted blue hakama, a light-blue and blue gi, opened a little to reveal a white-collared, foreign-looking shirt. He also carried a sword!.. but he seemed friendly..  
  
Kaoru was the first to speak whenever he was close enough to talk. One would think that it was her first time meeting another human. With boundless energy, she said, "Oi! I'm Kamiya Kaoru, this is Himura Kenshin, and this is–"  
  
"Makimachi Misao never gives her name to strangers!"   
  
The man's eyes bugged at the young, purple-clad girl in front of him, wondering if she realized what she had just said. She didn't appear to, so he played along. "Ahh, but Seta Soujirou does." His grin was even wider than that which Kenshin wore.  
  
"What can we help you with, Seta-dono?" Kenshin asked, unsuspiciously.  
  
"Call me Soujirou, really. I'm just looking for a place to stay." Soujirou just continued to smile, his hands crossed around his chest.  
  
"That's good, we have a dojo and rice farm not far from here. Perhaps you'd like to stay with us for a bit? It's quite roomy." Kaoru offered. She then glanced at Kenshin. "Oi.. I'm an idiot. It's actually his dojo, I'm just constantly inviting people to stay with us."  
  
"It's alright, Kaoru-dono, I think we could handle taking him in. It's only been a week since the earthquake, we should be able to offer what help we can, Soujirou-dono." Kenshin reciprocated Soujirou's smile.  
  
To the girls in the group, this was hilarious. Each of the men seemed to be in a battle at whose grin was the widest. Soujirou appeared to be winning, but Kenshin was gaining on him! They turned and started walking back towards the dojo, Kenshin and Soujirou, still smiling, led the way as Kaoru and Misao, giggling like mad, fell behind.  
  
-~-~-~-~-  
  
The walk back from the dojo was almost as uneventful as the walk from it. They had picked up Soujirou, a 16-year-old boy that dreamed of foreign lands and grinned more than humanly possible. Soujirou looked at the expansive complex that was the abandoned dojo. "This place is huge. And those rice fields in the back there.. how many acres are there?"  
  
"I counted thirty, but there are a few more that haven't yet been flooded. I can't figure out the irrigation system to this place. There's also a smaller garden in the back of the fields, some vegetables are nearly ready for picking. There are some gardening tools in a small shed in the back." Kenshin talked absentmindedly, following around the newcomer. Misao and Kaoru trekked along, all the while still giggling at the grinning guys.  
  
"I didn't know that all of this was back here." Kaoru commented as they reached a rice field. She knelt down, moved back her sleeve and reached, with delicate fingers, to the nearby flooded acre and a stalk lying therein. "It's so beautiful.. growing things."  
  
Kenshin knelt down beside her, staring at her profile. "Does it spark any memories?"  
  
For a few moments, Kaoru didn't answer him, just gazed wonderingly at the stalk of rice. "Eh? What.. Oh, sorry.. no.. I've just always bee amazed by nature."  
  
Misao and Soujirou laughed lightly, but Kenshin merely nodded and stood, assisting Kaoru to do the same. Kenshin turned around a bit, surveying the landscape. "My father was a farmer, but I don't remember much about rice farming. Do either of you know anything?"  
  
"Not really.." Misao said, distantly.  
  
"I do." Soujirou's smile widened to reveal perfectly straight, white teeth.   
  
"Funny, I thought that you samurai only fought." Misao commented, "This baka rurouni does the laundry and cooks, and this samurai knows about farming."  
  
"And thank Kami-sama for it, Misao-dono. Without Soujirou-dono here, we wouldn't be able to harvest all of this rice!" Kenshin chuckled.  
  
"Hai. It was good training." Soujirou smirked.   
  
"Let Misao and I go and change out of these kimono into worker's clothes, like your own, and we'll be out here to join you." Kaoru said, not wanting to dirty such a fine piece of clothing, especially if it wasn't exactly hers.   
  
"That's alright. Be back out in ten minutes, ne?" Soujirou asked, pondering how long it could possibly take for a woman to change into hakama and gi.. much less two women.  
  
"Erm.. yea.." Misao laughed, the two girls turned their backs on the boys and walked down towards their rooms in the dojo.  
  
"Here I am, sixteen, and I just don't understand women." Soujirou sighed.  
  
"Don't feel badly.. I'm twenty-eight and I still don't." Kenshin noted. He blinked and was suddenly face-to-face with Kaoru.  
  
"You're 28?!?!" She glared at him, disbelievingly.  
  
"Hai." Kenshin nodded, a look of fear encroaching on his usual pallid features. "And you have very good hearing."  
  
"There's no way!" Kaoru stated.  
  
"Actually there is, I mean, you heard me from about half-way to the dojo.. that has to be about two hundred yards." Kenshin calculated.  
  
"Not that, you idiot! You.. 28?!" Kaoru arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Hai." Kenshin nodded, backing away and trying not to step in the rice field, his hands raised in defense.  
  
"But... you don't look it." Kaoru said, her voice calming down a bit.  
  
"You should always focus on the task at hand, not the results." Soujirou inserted.  
  
"Eh?" Kaoru and Kenshin simultaneously asked, sweatdropping.  
  
"Exactly. Kaoru- san, let's go and get dressed. Kenshin and Soujirou will explore around here a bit." Misao almost translated Soujirou's vague statement. For once, Kaoru simply found herself speechless and followed Misao into the dojo.  
  
"I say again, I'll never understand women." Soujirou stated.  
  
"And, in turn, they'll never be able to understand us." The rurouni mused. The two followed straight rows of grassy land, sharply contrasting the water-covered rice fields. "I'm into the whole farming idea, I just don't want to end up permanently stooped like all of those elderly farmers you see around here.."  
  
"Chances of that are slim to none, that comes from an entire lifetime of farming." Soujirou explained.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Besides, a student of Hiten Mitsuruugi wouldn't be permanently stooped by just the lowly act of farming." Soujirou grinned wider, once more.  
  
"Oro?!?!" Kenshin chuckled, bewildered. "Is that fact plastered all over my face or something?"  
  
"Plastered all over that scar." Soujirou nodded. "You precede yourself, so to speak."  
  
"Ahh, Soujirou-dono has heard of me.. and my none-too-proudful history?"  
  
"Hai. Imagine, running into the Hitokiri Battousai whilst traveling around.. It's every samurai's dream!"   
  
"Do you intend to kill me or something?" Kenshin asked, puzzled by the young man's expression and demeanor.. was this kid plotting something?  
  
"Iie.. I was just taught that a samurai should choose a side in battle." Soujirou smiled even wider, continuing their journey down the route of ground laying through a labyrinth of ponds. "These four fields here seem ready for harvest. There's really not much to it.. just pluck a few things out of the ground, hang them to dry on those stick-constructions over there. Leave them to dry for a few weeks, then prepare and preserve the grain as you will."  
  
"I'll be sure to remember that. Now, in the mean-time.. what do you know of my past?" Kenshin asked, the most straightfoward that probably anyone currently in the dojo had ever seen him.  
  
-~-~-~-~-~-  
  
Kaoru and Misao had no luck in Misao's room looking for a pair of hakama. Whomever had possessed Misao's room previously did not particularly like hakama, it seemed. Thus, the girls were venturing into Kaoru's room for Japanese deep-slitted pants. It was an easy enough search. The closet had a small section of them in the back. Along with martial arts practice gi.   
  
The girls donned matching navy-colored hakama, and tan-colored practice gi. They could have passed for sisters. This sparked an idea in Kaoru's head. "Misao-chan, do you have any family?"  
  
"Ermm..." Misao was silent. She resumed the same rigidity as before, only moving to tie the hakama. "I can trust you not to tell anyone, ne, Kaoru?"  
  
"Hai." Came the answer Misao desired..  
  
"Someone might be searching for me. His name is Aoshi-sama."  
  
"-sama?"  
  
"Yea, he was the okashira of the Oniwabonshuu band of ninja. I belong to that particular band. But I haven't seen him in a while. He's the closest thing I would consider to family, since old man Okina died." Misao continued on, refusing to meet Kaoru's eyes, lest she should be met with questioning ones.  
  
"Alright." Kaoru said, smiling. She finished tying her own hakama knots, made sure that her kimono was neatly put away, and then turned toward the younger girl. "You ready to go and get dirty?"  
  
Although she didn't think that it was possible, Misao smiled. "Hai!"  
  
Talking about traditional Japanese clothes and the boys that were currently standing over a stalk of green-looking rice (knee-deep in water), the girls continued their venture back into the fields.  
  
"... That's all that's out in the public?" Kaoru heard Kenshin say in a hushed, hurried tone.  
  
Soujirou emitted a small 'yes' before clamming up and the girls arrived.   
  
"Kaoru-dono, I almost didn't recognize you dressed in men's clothing!" Kenshin laughed, and it afforded him a huge whelp and a long string of 'orororo..'.   
  
"You bought that upon yourself, Kenshin." Misao laughed. She couldn't believe it. With these people that she barely knew, she was laughing. Who would have thought.. her, the bubbly-personalitied Misao would ever be laughing after what happened. It almost made her question if it really had happened.. Hadn't it?  
  
Soujirou noted that he was suddenly feeling happier than usual as well. His talk with Kenshin had lightened his usually overly-happy mood and this young girl, Misao, was quite cute. Oh my! Was she looking at him just now? Was that a look of sorrow in her eyes? Or wonder? Oh my! He tried to speak, his voice uncharacteristically an octave higher. "Well, the best thing to do now is just get dirty." Oh my! Was she laughing at him now?  
  
The respective people paired off, Kaoru and Kenshin picked one of the fields to the left to begin plucking stalks from the ground.. Misao and Soujirou picked one a field over.   
  
As they plucked, Kenshin and Kaoru maintained a steady conversation of the controversy of allowing foreign people to enter Japan or not. 'Westernization' other countries were calling it, 'industrialization'.. Should Japan have that? Kaoru said that she didn't really care either way, if they allowed them in, traditions would be forgotten (most likely), but they would gain the benefit of technology.. then there was always complicated foreign politics. Kenshin agreed. They strung out a conversation like this, debating various political and religious topics, still plucking at mid-day.  
  
Misao and Soujirou just plucked a stalked, looked at each other, then moved on to the next stalk. Not a word was spoken between them, their sideglances and furious blush would have spelled it out to anyone. But they weren't just anyone... they were the uberly-giddy Makimachi Misao and Seta Soujirou! They had to be juvenile!, at least, those were the thoughts running through Soujirou's mind. Continuing this adventure would prove to be tiring, Misao was thinking. But they were having enough trouble harvesting rice and trying to read each other's body language, let alone each other's mind.  
  
At mid-day, the party stopped, with Kenshin and Kaoru (walking a little closer to each other than before, Misao noted) gesturing wildly to the still side-glancing-and-grinning teens to go back to the dojo and have dinner with them.  
  
"It's one o'clock, let's go have lunch!" Screamed Kenshin's manic movements. Misao and Soujirou finally took the hint and they walked back (closer than before, Kaoru noted) with each other.   
  
It was shaping up to be a rather weird day. So mystifying!  
  
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Oi, this fic rocks my socks. ^^* This chapter really isn't anything–it's just leading up to more action, more WAFF, more K/K, and S/M. The next chapter will probably come shortly.. probably even before my other fic's next chapter does. X.x   
  
Oh, and I raise the rating a bit, some of what happened in early chapters with Yahiko's body and such may be a bit gory for the little kiddies, ne? If you think it's better at PG, feel free to tell me.  
  
TO THE REVIEWERS! ^^* Thanks! Many, many, many, many thanks! Reviews are quite inspiring. (Though, you do even help to point out some of those mistakes that I'm constantly making. [i.e – did I really put that they read left-to-right? I know that they read right-to-left, how could I even be thinking left-to-right? O.o])   
  
Please review again, tsukino-chan loves reviews. ^^*   
  
More coming soon! 


	5. Harvesting

**Author's Notes**–The notes for these took thirty minutes to write, I'm scared about how long this will take me. Passage is updated, this needed it as well. Mysteries shall be revealed! Only to have.. Even more questions to be answered? This fic is ongoing.. Is developing a plot and, I hope, becoming interesting. Review?  
  
**Disclaimer** – I don't own this! Just screwing them up for my own entertainment. And yours, too, maybe..  
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The mid-day meal had already prepared and boxed, greeting its hungry consumers when they returned to the dojo at one. It was a simple meal, tempura and a bit of rice. Enough to sustain the field workers for an afternoon's worth of labor. Misao and Soujirou had both chosen to take their meals inside, Kenshin and Kaoru both found excuses to enjoy the sunshine (and each other's company) outdoors.  
  
Kaoru sat on the edge of the porch, the same one on which she had fallen asleep the preceding night, eating animatedly and talking with the rurouni. "Memories affect people's lives."  
  
"How so?" Kenshin asked, lifting his chopsticks to his chin and examining the rice on it as if it were a foreign object.  
  
"Well, if I could reflect upon some of my past experiences, I'm sure I may feel differently about some things."  
  
"I'm not following you. An example of this would be..?" Kenshin ate the rice, and left the question dangling.  
  
"Swordsmen." Kaoru finished. "I'm sure that, if I were to remember exactly why it was that my father was one, I wouldn't dislike them as much as I do."  
  
Kenshin took one smack in the ego there. He cleared his throat. Twice. Indicating, with his eyes, the sakabatou laying on his other side.  
  
"Oh! I don't dislike all swordsmen, Kenshin." Kaoru quickly corrected herself, blushing. "Sorry. Are you finished?"  
  
Kenshin, recovering from his own blush, nodded.  
  
----------  
  
Misao and Soujirou sat eating lunch, awkwardly. Misao attempted conversation. "Are you a swordsman?"  
  
"Yes." Soujirou stammered back, his voice thankfully not cracking again. "Are you a ninja?"  
  
"Yes." Misao responded. This was pointless. They could have deducted that from each other simply by reading ki.   
  
"If you are a ninja, then what are you doing here?" Soujirou had re-attained his coy and smiling manner. Feeling mischievous, wasn't he? Well, it's danger to be mischievous with an Oniwabonshuu ninja..  
  
"I can't reveal that just yet, Soujirou." Misao smirked, idly taking an inventory of her kodachi in front of him, having finished her meal. "What are you here for, then, Mr. Swordsman?"  
  
"For answers."  
  
"Finished you two?" Kaoru's voice, returning from outside, interrupted from the kitchen.  
  
"Hai!" The two called in unison, collecting their boxes and returning to help wash their dishes.  
  
----------  
  
The four returned to the fields after an hour. Rice had been collected, their grains were stacked and ready to be stored from two of the four fields. Everyone seemed excited that their daily allotment of the four fields was at least half-way finished with. Kenshin and Kaoru, as now per usual, tackled the leftward field together, Soujirou and Misao accepting the other.  
  
They hammered on together, a few rows apart, carrying on conversations in couples. Kaoru commented to Kenshin, "Japanese men never help with the housework. It's not tradition."  
  
Misao overheard this small sentence from the next field. There's something for Soujirou and herself to talk about. "Oi, Soujirou.. Why are you helping out with the farmwork?"  
  
"It was part of my training." Kenshin and Soujirou called back simultaneously.  
  
"Why?" Kaoru asked. Misao had seemed satisfied with her answer.  
  
"My master thought that it taught discipline, humility, and respect. It also needed to be done around the dojo that I studied at, it was a small and my master didn't particularly like chores." Kenshin laughed at the memory. Just thinking of Hiko in an apron was enough to make him smile.  
  
"So," Kaoru and Misao unknowingly calling out together, "What type of blade did you study?"  
  
"Hiten Mitsurugi." Kenshin and Soujirou answered. They then looked at each other.  
  
He learned Kenshin's style? Kenshin's head screamed. Soujirou smiled wider than previously thought possible and continued working. He learned Kenshin's style?  
  
"Did you two study together?" Kaoru asked bubbily, grabbing another stalk from beneath her and adding it to a small woven basket on her back.  
  
"No." Kenshin replied curtly. "I finished training early and left the dojo. Soujirou-dono probably studied it after I left."  
  
"Oh." Kaoru answered shortly. The two continued their talk more quietly, only discussing the weather and if they thought that thirty acres of rice would logically ever get harvested at the rate the they were going.  
  
"So.. you never completed training?" Misao asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not? Hiten blade is very prestigious."  
  
"Neh. I ran into another interesting character, Shishio Makoto, that explain his philosophy on life to me. The strong always survive over the weaker. It clashed miserably with Hiten Mitsurugi. I removed myself. Not before I ended up fatally wounding a classmate of mine." Soujirou expressed sadly. "He was six. I had a wakizashi for the first time.. he got in my way and was quite weak. Yukishiro had in coming."  
  
"Wow." Misao quipped.  
  
Kenshin sneezed.  
  
"Somone is either thinking of you, or you're allergic to all of this rice!" Kaoru laughed.  
  
"I'm not allergic to rice." Kenshin stated with stunning forcefulness.  
  
"No one said that you were." Kaoru laughed. She thought out loud. "I wonder who would be thinking of you?"  
  
"Many people have things to think about of me. I caused a lot of pain."  
  
"Your past.."  
  
"Some things are better left unsaid, Kaoru-dono. There are times whenever I wish I were like you, amnesiac and forgotten of all these tragic things."  
  
Kaoru's heart almost split in two at that sentence. Regaining her composure, she sharply reproached him. "Kenshin, really. Kami... it's terrible. I feel that I don't know who I really am."  
  
"With the deeds I've done, it would be convenient to forget who I was."  
  
"I am sorrowful for you then, Kenshin."  
  
She was sad for him? This wasn't the first time someone had said that to him.. but it seemed so much more meaningful coming form her lips. Kenshin smiled softly, emotionlessly though.  
  
"Oi, you talkative farmers! We're finished with our field!" Misao laughed, walking over to the edge of Kenshin and Kaoru's field, where the latter was picking up her last stalk.  
  
"And so are we." Kaoru returned.  
  
"Kenshin and I will take these baskets and hang them on the wooden dryers over there. It should take a few weeks for them to dry out now. You two can.. go sit somewhere and relax for a bit." Soujirou smiled, wider than his current rurouni counterpart. This was strange, consider that both of them had just gotten a handful of more work.  
  
"So.. Kaoru.. What did you and Kenshin talk about?" Misao sat beside Kaoru to watch the men before them work.  
  
"The past." Kaoru was blank. "You and Soujirou?"  
  
"The same. He never finished his Hiten Mitsurugi training."  
  
"Kenshin did. Why didn't he?"  
  
"Something about killing a young boy by the name of Yukishiro, obtaining a new philosophy on life, and then just letting himself out." Misao tried to recant the tale as Soujirou had told it, but it didn't exactly work out so well.  
  
"Strange. Kenshin won't reveal any of his past."  
  
"That's strange. Face it Kaoru, all of us here are strange." Misao commented blandly.  
  
They laughed together for a few more minutes, bonding as the men did the heavy labor of moving the rice grains and stacking them. It was a fun afternoon, they decided.  
  
----------  
  
It took only a few minutes, and they were ready to return to the dojo for the evening meal. Kenshin and Kaoru dropped behind, discussing Kami-knows-what as Soujirou and Misao continued on ahead. Kaoru then called something about not being hungry, and them taking a walk.  
  
Soujirou smirked, facing Misao. "Not hungry, my foot. They're just trying to be alone."  
  
"I think it's romantic." Misao was in dream-sequence.  
  
"Want some dinner?"  
  
"Hai. Let's see what we have." Misao suggested.  
  
"Miso." Soujirou answered, looking into a cabinet.  
  
"I could handle Miso."  
  
"Very nice. Miso for Misao. Weird alliteration, there. Let's make some then!" Soujirou smiled. Yet again, he felt juvenile.. at least his voice had stopped that annoying high-pitched thing around her. That was plain embarrassing.  
  
----------  
  
After they were a short distance away from the dojo, walking along the paths tracing the outlines of the rice fields, Kaoru reached out for Kenshin's hand. And held it here, in hers. The amazing thing was, neither Kenshin nor Kaoru blushed.  
  
"Tell me about your past, Kenshin."   
  
"Damn curiousity." Kenshin muttered.  
  
"It might be part of my nature. Or my genetics. I wouldn't know really." Kaoru laughed. Kenshin damned her hearing, too.. but he laughed. "I like it when you laugh. You scar goes upwards. Your scar. Tell me how you got an interesting one like that, at least."  
  
"Not right now. It's a horrible memory. I don't really want to share it with anyone."  
  
"But I'm not anyone." Kaoru replied quickly. "'Anyone' has memories. I don't."  
  
"So? That doesn't make you any less of a person." Kenshin said, facing her as they stopped walking.  
  
"It does."  
  
"It doesn't."  
  
"It does!"  
  
"Kaoru!" Kenshin forcefully said, grabbing her face with his hands. He calmed, but his hands didn't move. "It.. doesn't."  
  
They leaned in closer, and the cool night air enveloped them as their lips met, for the first time. A pale moon shined, wind blew, stars twinkled, and a hitokiri's heart melted all in that one instant.  
  
----------  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru returned to the dojo after about an hour or so, hand-in-hand. They bid each other good night and parted, going their separate ways for the night.  
  
Misao and Soujirou knew that something was up. Misao spoke first after seeing them leave each other's presence. "Do you think they..?"  
  
"No. Someone like her has better sense than to fall in love with someone like him." Soujirou answered the dangling sentence quickly. Almost too quickly, he felt. "Himura-san's actions in the past were horrible."  
  
"Yours weren't?" Misao struck a nerve with that one.  
  
"Have you ever killed anyone, Misao?"  
  
"I've seen a man killed before. Never done so myself, though. I don't wish to." Misao replied coldly.  
  
"Himura-san and I have seen so many massacres, it's become routine."  
  
"Do you feel that your actions were horrible?"  
  
"My actions had reason."  
  
"Reason?! For murder?" Misao was outraged. She icily left. "Konban wa, Soujirou."  
  
Left to tend to the dishes himself, Soujirou washed them, and wandered into a room that had been given to him earlier in the day. He fell asleep at precisely the same time Misao did, in her own room.  
  
-----------  
  
Kaoru took her time changing from her working clothes into a sleeping yukata. However, whenever she finally did crawl into her futon, her hand rested on her lips, where his hand lingered not a half-hour before. She had fallen for him as quickly as she fell asleep that night.  
  
----------  
  
Kenshin wearily entered his room. He had never been that close to anyone other than Tomoe. And he had seen how that ended. He didn't want this to happen to Kaoru. Kami-sama, he really didn't.   
  
This was different now, though. Times had changed now. Hadn't they? Questions weighing on him, his eyelids fluttered closed for his forty winks.  
  
-------------------------  
  
eep WAFFy, I know. Very, very WAFFy. Did you like the K/K or S/M going on here? Aren't alternate pairings fun? But, wait.. didn't Misao mention something about Aoshi earlier? evil author laugh. Plot twist! It's coming up very, very soon. As in, the next chapter. So you'll have that to look foward to. More questions will be answered, memories will be recovered.. more K/K WAFFyness.. More S/M juvenile crushes.   
  
See ya in Chapter six! I don't really have a name for it yet.  
  
Review, please.. .-  
  
Thanks for reading!


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